João Palhinha was on the verge of completing his transfer to Bayern Munich but the deal could not be finalised before the deadline on Friday.
The Portuguese midfielder had completed his medical in Bavaria ahead of a £55m move to the German champions. He had even been photographed carrying a Bayern jersey ahead of his presentation as the club’s new signing.
But the deal fell through as Fulham could not find a replacement for the midfielder before the German deadline, which was 5pm UK time.
The Cottagers had been linked with a number of potential recruits, most prominently Pierre-Emille Hojbjerg, but the Tottenham man was unwilling to leave the club right now. He has also reportedly turned down a loan move to Atletico Madrid.
Fulham also made contact with Manchester United over Scott McTominay, according to Sky Sports.
Palhinha made a huge impact in his debut season in the Premier League after joining the west London outfit from Sporting CP for £20m last summer. The 28-year-old lead the division for tackles and duels won.
Liverpool had been linked with a move for Palhinha to help sort their midfield woes. But the Merseyside outfit chose to sign Wataru Endo from Stuttgart for £16.24m instead.
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